Four years ago, Walker Stapleton, seated, and J.J. Ament, were vying for the GOP nomination for state treasurer. Stapleton prevailed. (The Denver Post

Republicans Cory Gardner, who is running for the U.S. Senate and Treasurer Walker Stapleton, who is running for a second term, at Gardner’s campaign kick-off Saturday in Denver. (Lynn Bartels, The Denver Post)

Four years ago, Walker Stapleton and J.J. Ament were rivals running for the GOP nomination for state treasurer, but this time around they’ll be standing together on the stage at the Republican state assembly next month.

Ament will nominate Stapleton for a second term as treasurer.

“What better person to send a message of unity to our party than my former opponent who is now my friend, J.J. Ament?” said Stapleton. “I hope it will help the party unite because in the midst of a divisive race for governor, and a less divisive race for Senate I think our party is in deep need of something that can unify us.”

Colorado House Democrats celebrate on Election Day 2012 after regaining the regaining the majority. From left to right,state Reps. Jeanne Labuda, Angela Williams, Dan Pabon, Mark Ferrandino and Lois Court, all of Denver. (Craig F. Walker, The Denver Post)

House Speaker Mark Ferrandino dinged his GOP colleagues today, saying they want to “keeping rehashing the fights of last year,” including guns, renewable energy and abortion while Democrats are focused on jobs and helping fire and flood victims.

Oh, really?

So when Democrats regained control of the House in 2013 and brought back a civil-unions bill that had been killed two straight sessions in a row, that wasn’t rehashing?

Robert Blaha, who is challenging three-term incumbent Doug Lamborn, hopes it’s the latter.

“We are hopefully confident and we are looking forward to an exciting evening with a lot of very important supporters,” said Blaha, a Colorado Springs businessman, who has bankrolled his campaign with more than $700,000.

Lamborn — as of late — is making the rounds on television, appearing at several press conferences for the Waldo Canyon fire, which has burned more than 5,000 acres since Saturday.

And it continues, in what is perhaps the most minute and absurd of all the charges. In a tweet Monday morning, Blaha revealed that a campaign sign of his had been vandalized. By who might you guess? Yeah, Lamborn.

WASHINGTON — A lobbyist for Colorado-based Abound Solar, a recipient of a $400 million federal loan guarantee to expand solar panel production, is a large fundraiser for GOP presidential contender Mitt Romney.

iWatch News reports that FaegreBD Consulting’s Cathy Tripodi who represents Abound is a Romney “bundler” and raised $27,000 for him in April. Abound Solar benefitted from the same Department of Energy program that helped the California-based Solyndra, which is now bankrupt. One of Solyndra’s investers in 2008 was a bundler for President Obama, iWatch reported.

Abound officials told The Denver Post in February they were going to lay off 280 people and delay opening a plant in Indiana.

Rep. Cory Gardner, R-Yuma, was involved with the Solyndra investigation. Abound is in his district.

iWatch News reported, “many pundits and politicos began uttering Abound’s name in the same sentence as Solyndra this spring, after Abound announced plans to lay off 280 workers from a Colorado plant and delay the opening of a factory in Indiana. Earlier this month, the Government Reform Committee in the U.S. House of Representatives brought in Abound’s president to testify.”

UPDATE: Lamborn campaign says Blaha has said he doesn’t have a problem with the Congressman’s voting record. “As far as we’re concerned, there’s nothing to debate. Congressman Lamborn is not interested in a debate over personalities,” said Lamborn spokeswoman Catherine Mortensen.

COLORADO SPRINGS – When and if Republican U.S. Rep. Doug Lamborn will debate challenger Robert Blaha is a question unknown.

For voters in southern Colorado’s 5th Congressional District, the decision as to who will represent them in Washington will arrive on June 26 with the Republican primary.

With three weeks until ballots in the all mail-in election are sent to voters — absentee ballots were mailed to soldiers overseas Friday — Blaha, a boisterous businessman whose deep pockets have made him a viable challenger, says he’s asked Lamborn to a debate on more than 16 different occasions.

And Lamborn’s response has been, for the most part, unresponsive. Except for late Monday afternoon when Lamborn spokeswoman, Catherine Mortensen, e-mailed The Denver Post saying, “Mr. Blaha has said he doesn’t have a problem with the Congressman’s voting record. As far as we’re concerned, there’s nothing to debate. Congressman Lamborn is not interested in a debate over personalities.”

Members can use taxpayer dollars to communicate with constituents, including send pieces of mail. Blaha takes issue with a flier that arrived in Colorado Springs’ voter mailboxes at the end of March that touts Lamborn’s National Journal “Most Conservative Members of Congress” ranking. The mailer does not tout his campaign and sends constituents to his Congressional website.

“As a taxpayer, I have raised this issue before,” Blaha said, in a statement. “This behavior typifies the entitlement mentality of the permanent political class.”

Lamborn was first elected to U.S. Congress in 2006.

His office said the mailer, like all mailers, was approved by the bipartisan “franking commission” before being sent out.

“Once again, Mr. Blaha displays his profound ignorance of Congress,” Lamborn spokeswoman Cat Mortensen said, in an email. “Congressman Lamborn believes it is important to communicate with his constituents.”

It surely sounds as if he’s angling for a VP spot on the GOP presidential ticket with this effort to woo an important voting bloc.

This is how Rubio describes the idea, according to the story:

Rubio’s proposal allows young people who came to the United States with their parents to have access to a non-immigrant visa that allows them to study, and after their studies are complete, allows them to work legally in the United States. Eventually, Rubio said, they gain the same status of other non-immigrant visa-holders and are eligible to apply for residency. Three to five years after they obtain a green card, they’re eligible for citizenship.

A New York Times editorial panned the idea, calling it “a Dream Act with out the Dream.”

The Rubio idea may be well and good, but it’s just an idea at this point, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Latino voters are going to want to see more than just a trial balloon before thinking about supporting the GOP ticket in significant numbers.

Joey Bunch has been a reporter for 28 years, including the last 12 at The Denver Post. For various newspapers he has covered the environment, water issues, politics, civil rights, sports and the casino industry.